MOLD TESTING, ABATEMENT & REMEDIATION - AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE APPLICATIONS

It is crucial to quickly begin mold remediation once it has been established that a commercial building is affected by mold. Engineer controls such as the use of HEPA filter air filters, custom containment barriers and negative air flow protect spores against spreading to uncontaminated areas. The removal of the source is done using a variety of demolition techniques, as well as mechanical remediation. After that, detailed cleaning steps are taken to remove the mold from the structure. Commercial mold remediation should be done with discretion and safety in mind.

In order to prevent future contamination, moisture problems like leaks and high humidity must be detected, found, and rectified or controlled as soon as possible. Moisture is a problem that can only be controlled.

Mold remediation requires special training and skill. Inadequate remediation can result in cross-contamination, recurring mold growth and health problems for occupants long after work is completed. It is always best to have mold removed by licensed and certified professionals.

Mold remediation experts can eliminate the mold from any area of your building without spreading to other areas. This will leave you with a healthy and clean work environment. We can handle any size job, large or small, and get you back in business as soon as possible.

The Commercial Mold Remediation Process is a proven success. To remove mold from contaminated buildings safely and efficiently, we follow industry standards. You have come to the right place if you’re looking for a commercial mold removal company.

Before and after any remediation, it is important to test for mold contamination on surfaces as well as in the air. This will help determine the type and severity of mold contamination, as well as the success of remediation. The specialist will inspect any areas that are affected by mold and determine if there is mold contamination. To determine the extent of damage, they will conduct moisture tests in drywall, flooring, structural cavities and other potentially affected materials. A licensed mold assessor may also perform pre-remediation laboratory air analyses. This will allow them to prepare a scope. We will take note of any damaged items and then remove them from the area.

Cross-contamination is a condition in which mold spores spread to unaffected areas of a building. Temporary containment barriers can be constructed to stop this. To achieve this, we use temporary walls, which block HVAC vents and create negative pressure. You can place containments around any area affected, including corners and around permanent objects.
It is important to establish and maintain negative air pressure within containment areas relative to the surrounding indoor occupant spaces. This helps to prevent cross-contamination as well as remove mold spores during demolition and cleaning. HEPA-equipped negative air machines (air cleaners) are used to achieve this. They are placed in the containment area and have exhaust vents that lead outside. Venting HEPA-filtered air scrubbers to the outside of buildings is not possible in certain areas. In such cases, the air should be recirculated inside the containment area.

A specialist in remediation will regularly check and monitor the air pressure. In buildings with high moisture levels, drying equipment can also be used. To maximize efficiency, equipment should be placed in a specific position and should not move.

Engineer controls like containments and controlling the airflow protect occupants from cross-contamination and help prevent them from being harmed during the mold remediation process.

Bleach alone will not kill mold. It is not possible to remove visible signs or isolate the mold from the surface with bleach. To remove mold, porous materials such as drywall, flooring and furnishings must be removed. To minimize dust, drywall removal can be done with a saw equipped with HEPA filter attachment. The contaminated materials are then bagged in extra-heavy-duty bags and taken out of the structure for disposal.

You can salvage structural materials like wood framing by scraping, sanding, or media blasting to get rid of mold growth. Because it’s faster than sanding and can also deodorize, soda blasting is an excellent option for large-scale mold remediation projects and fire damage restoration. Soda blasting involves using compressed air to propel granular sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) against a surface. Soda, which is a very friable material, micro-fractures on impact and literally explodes away any surface materials from sensitive substrates, such as brick or wood, without causing damage to the surfaces.

Cleaning should be done to remove as much contamination as possible. Cleaning is essential to remove contaminants, microorganisms and food sources from the environment. The type of contaminants and the cleaning method used will vary. Antimicrobial agents are often used when contaminants are biological to prevent or decontaminate.
After demolition is completed, all surfaces in the containment area must be thoroughly vacuumed. An antimicrobial disinfectant will also be used to kill any mold spores remaining on surfaces. Remaining drywall, ceiling and contents are all areas that need to be cleaned, as well as windows, light fixtures, wall cavities, studs and other surfaces in the area.

Source containment is when there is very little mold growth on the wall or other building material. This involves sealing visible mold growth to the material and creating a barrier that prevents spores being released into the atmosphere during demolition. It reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Plastic sheeting, adhesive, and tape are all common methods of source containment. This method can be problematic because the contamination from the building material being removed is likely to be hidden behind the surface and cannot contain it until the material has been removed.

Imagine that you are seeing drywall that has a little mold on it. Many times the visible area is smaller than the area inside the wall cavity. When the building material is removed, the framing or insulation behind the wall cavity may be affected. This can lead to mold spores.
Source containment should be the only type of containment that a company recommends for surface growth. They must verify that the contamination is not hidden behind any visibly affected building materials. You can confirm this with a special camera that inspects the cavity of the wall or by testing the walls and surfaces.

This type of containment will isolate a specific room or area from all the rest of the building. This type of containment typically involves the construction of strong-duty plastic walls that are either placed across doors or built around the contamination area. This allows workers to reach the affected area, while keeping dust and mold spores from getting out of the containment during cleanup and removal.

It is also important to consider the entry and exit points. A clean room airlock chamber is necessary if workers or damaged material must be moved through other areas of the building to gain access to the enclosed area. The airlock chamber is typically a small space that workers can enter and exit from, but it will be located outside the contaminated area.

Clean rooms are used to prevent contaminants from being tracked into the building by either restoration workers or contaminated materials. It’s used to wash and dry PPE and any bags containing contaminated building materials. It should be HEPA vacuum regularly during remediation. The room might also have a HEPA air scrubber for constantly cleaning out contaminants from the air. Sticky mats are available at exits to ensure that no contaminants are tracked through unaffected areas.

This is useful for large remediation projects that involve extensive condition 2 or 3 throughout the building. A full containment may be required if the entire building is in severe condition. This would include containing all HVAC vents throughout the building and any exits.

Each of these contaminants may, and should, be used together. A full containment can be used if the whole building is affected. This will reduce cross-contamination risk while technicians are working on each room. The licensed mold assessor can also test each area once it has been remedied. The mold remediator can focus on a specific area and not the whole building if a single one fails to pass the post remediation verification tests. This saves time and money.

This is the act of manipulating the room’s air pressure to reduce cross contamination. HEPA-filtered air scrubbers (or AFDs) are used to create negative pressure. The filtered air is sucked from the room by forcing it out of its containment. However, the air being sucked out must be replaced with clean, fresh air from outside or another part of the building. This technique allows us to continuously introduce clean air into contaminated rooms while filtering out any excess contaminants.
Negative air must be used with care and the remediator must know where it is coming from. If there are open sewer lines near the remediator, for example, the air quality may quickly drop as methane gas or other contaminants are sucked from the lines. If natural gas or propane are used in the building, it is important to ensure that no flammable gases are leaking into any rooms. You should also monitor the make-up air for contaminants. This could include crawlspaces, attics, adjacent units in multi-unit buildings, or even janitor’s closets.

We can contain the whole building with airlock chambers or just a small area of it. There are three types of containment localized containment (source containment), full containment (localized containment) and complete containment.

To minimize contamination, the remediator must be proficient in controlled demolition. To aid in this process, there are many demolition tools available. These include saws and sanders. The remediator can also use a source containment to place additional plastic on non-contaminated floor coverings and contents.

It is important to remove all building materials carefully and not rip, smash, or crush them. Although the demolition process can take slightly longer with these specialized tools, it is significantly faster and more cost-effective.

Some types of mold can thrive in high relative humidity levels above 60%. This high humidity can easily be reached in an indoor environment due to HVAC systems being closed or covered. To prevent new growth, dehumidifiers or other climate control systems such as portable HVAC systems can be added to the confinement.

If the HVAC system isn’t working, it is important to have climate control installed in any other areas of the building. To ensure acceptable relative humidity, it should be checked daily and adjusted if necessary.

Clean Solutions™ has mold specialists who are all trained in these engineering controls. We use HEPA filter vacuums and dehumidifiers for every project. Containment should not be considered optional, but mandatory. This ensures that we have the best chance of success in mold remediation and protects the building occupants.

Mold contamination indoors is not something to be taken lightly. Individual mold spores can only be seen by the naked eye because they are microscopic. There could be thousands of mold spores within a colony if you only see one square inch of growth. These spores can cause serious health problems and even lead to future problems like the destruction of building materials.

It is crucial that engineering controls are in place when mold remediation is done. This will prevent cross-contamination, and protect the occupants. If mold is disturbed, and there are no engineering controls in place, the spores could easily get into the HVAC system and spread to other areas of the building. Mold spores can be dispersed and remain dormant for as long as the right conditions exist. These spores can proliferate in excess humidity and moisture due to a water loss, which can lead to rapid destruction of building materials and further health concerns.

We can handle any size project, including biological and chemical decontamination. Exposure to many biological contaminants can lead to infectious diseases. Chemical decontamination includes crime scene, meth lab cleanup, tear gas mitigation and oil and fuel clean up (interior). For biological and chemical threats, planning and preventive disinfection services are also available.